See Also: 'Recycling' Episode Guide

Mac, Aiden and Flack will find their patience severely tested when snooty dog owners place their prize animals' chances of winning a kennel club show over solving the death of one of the animal handlers, on the upcoming CSI: New York episode "ReCycling."

CSI Files sources revealed today that "ReCycling" is supposed to revolve around the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, taking place annually in Madison Square Guarden, although it is unclear whether this real-life event will make it to the actual episode or be replaced by a fictional counterpart. Whatever the name, the outward trappings remain the same: well-groomed dogs cared for by devoted handlers, all under the watchful eye of high-society dog owners hoping to win the coveted title of 'Best In Show.'

But this year, the search for a new champion will have to take a backseat to that for the killer of Elaine Curtis, a twentysomething animal handler found dead next to the Red Cross tent in the show's backstage area. She has a knitting needle stuck through her heart and bite marks on her neck. The initial interrogations aren't very useful: the emergency doctor was in his tent while the murder took place and didn't hear a thing, while the owner of the needle is a neurotic dog owner who is widely known to calm herself and her dog down before each show by knitting, and thus frequently has her needles stolen by competitors trying to gain an edge.

But then Aiden finds a clue: a trail of paw prints leading away from Elaine's body. When they also find a dog's hair on Elaine's body, they're able to narrow it down to a Springer Spaniel, and as the judging for those breeds isn't until tomorrow, Mac thinks they're in luck - until all the dog owners refuse to cooperate, saying the mental stress would ruin their dogs' chances at the dog show. That's not an answer Mac is willing to take, and he has the police round up the Spaniels for his own dog show - but instead of the best-behaved animal or most elaborate coiffure, he's just looking to see whether any of them has blood on its paws.

The first Spaniels prove innocent, but then Mac finds one that clearly stepped through a pool of blood - and although the dog may still be innocent, its handler, a man in his late 40s named Alvin Malbert, is looking very guilty indeed. He admits that he had a relationship with Elaine, but that he couldn't tell anyone, as his employer would surely fire him if she found out he was dating someone working for the competition. But then Mac asks him if he can explain the bite marks Elaine had. Alvin is silent for a while. Then he reveals that he and Elaine used to enjoy pretending to be dogs while having sex, barking and playfully biting each other, while they made his dog look on - and even sometimes got him involved a bit more...

While Mac is in the dog house, Stella and Danny investigate the death of Michael Starks, a bike messenger who was stabbed to death while racing through the streets of New York. His employer says Michael was probably his best man, and the many newspaper clippings featuring Lance Armstrong that Stella and Danny find in his locker confirm this was a man who got your stuff delivered - and fast. But that also meant he was taking work away from his colleagues - could one of them resented him enough to kill him?

Please note that the above plot details have not been confirmed by CBS, Alliance Atlantis or Bruckheimer Films, and until such time you should treat this information as you would any other rumour. The above information comes from early script drafts and the details and the airing order of the episodes are liable to change before the episodes are shown.

"ReCycling" will likely air in late 2004 or early 2005.

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